Tag Archives: Liberty

FROM VALLEY BASEBALL LEAGUE
Baseball website PGcrosschecker.com recently compiled its list of the top 20 players in the Valley Baseball League. The list was compiled by Allan Simpson with input from the league’s managers and scouts.

Similar to the recently released Baseball America list, PG Crosschecker identified Winchester’s Luke Greinke as the league’s top prospect. He was also the league MVP. He was followed by Covington outfielder Jason Kipnis, but then six of the next seven players listed were pitchers.

Simpson noted that league officials felt that the 2007 season saw a jump in overall talent around the league, in particular in the pitching department. The numbers appear to support that assertion. In 2007, league pitchers as a whole had a 3.70 earned run average while hitters had a .247 batting average as a league. In 2006, hitters posted a .258 average while pitchers compiled a 3.88 ERA, and the year before saw a .257 batting average and 3.97 ERA as a league.

While Waynesboro finished first in the regular season and won the Jim Lineweaver Cup as league champions, the Generals placed just three players in the top 20 and none higher than #11. In fact, many of the top prospects come from the lower half of the standings. Simpson noted that was a sign of the league’s improved depth.

PGCrosschecker.com Valley League Top 20 Prospects

1. Luke Greinke, UT, Winchester (Auburn)

2. Jason Kipnis, OF, Covington (Arizona State)

3. Zac Blakney, RHP, Fauquier (Montevallo)

4. Shayne Moody, SS, Woodstock (Charlotte)

5. Ashur Tolliver, LHP, Harrisonburg (Arkansas-Little Rock)

6. Donald Jordat, RHP, Luray (Miami-Dade C.C.)

7. Rob Gilliam, RHP, Luray (UNC Greensboro)

8. Tim Sexton, RHP, Staunton (Miami-Dade C.C.)

9. Josh Judy, RHP, Haymarket (Indiana Tech)

10. Tyler Kuhn, SS/2B, Luray (West Virginia)

11. Pat Irvine, C/OF, Waynesboro (Elon)

12. Garrett Parker, RHP, Harrisonburg (Oklahoma City)

13. Bobby Hernandez, RHP, Staunton (Barry)

14. Josh Eidell, RHP, Woodstock (Villanova)

15. Elih Villanueva, RHP, Luray (Florida State)

16. Jeremy Cruz, 1B, Luray (Stetson)

17. Chris Masters, LHP, New Market (Western Carolina)

18. Brandon Sizemore, 2B, Waynesboro (Charleston)

19. Kurt Davidson, C/1B, Waynesboro (Akron)

20. Dustin Umberger, RHP, Luray (Liberty)

Full scouting reports from the summer on each player are available here. A subscription is required to view the insider-level reports.

Five Virginia baseball players have earned 2007 University Division All-State honors, as selected by the Virginia College Sports Information Directors (VaSID). Brian O’Connor was selected as Coach of the Year, Jacob Thompson (after an 11-0 season earning him a slot as a finalist for the Roger Clemens Award, with the winner to be announced July 11) was chosen as Pitcher of the Year, and shortstop Greg Miclat, OF and Chicago Cubs draftee Brandon Guyer and pitcher and Oakland Athletics first round sandwich pick LHP Sean Doolittle (pictured at left) garnering first-team all-state honors. Doolittle also earned second-team honors at 1B, and was joined on the second team by 2B David Adams.

Liberty University has hired Jim Toman to lead their baseball program. Toman was the Associate Head Coach at South Carolina before accepting this position. He has spent the last 18 years as a member of Ray Tanner’s staff at South Carolina and previously at NC State. He is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation as he has lead the Gamecocks to a top 25 recruiting class every year for the last eleven years.Liberty Release

The Virginia Cavaliers picked up a 5-4 walkoff victory over Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday night. Tyler Cannon hit a two out single to drive in Tim Henry with the winning run. Sean Doolittle led the Cavs by going 3-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Andrew Carraway picked up the victory in relief by pitching 1.1 scoreless innings to up his record to 5-0 while Rams reliever Mick Mattaliano pitched 3.1 innings while giving up only the losing run in the ninth to even his record at 2-2.Virginia RecapVCU Recap

Virginia Tech 12 Liberty 9

The Virginia Tech Hokies got ten hits and Liberty committed seven errors as the Hokies easy got by the Flames of Liberty in Blacksburg on Tuesday. Bryan Thomas went 3-5 with 2 RBI to lead the Hokie offense. Rhett Ballard got the victory in relief for the Hokies by giving them six strong innings while limiting the Flames to three runs. His record is now 6-2. Liberty reliever Ryan Page picked up the loss as he gave up two unearned runs in his two innings of work to drop his record down to 2-3.VT RecapLiberty Recap

Boston College 13 Quinnipiac 2

Boston College continued their hot hitting as they knocked around the Bobcats pitching for 18 hits and 13 runs. Johnny Ayers led the Eagles attack by going 4-4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Ted Ratliff pitched eight strong innings while giving up no runs on four hits and striking out ten batters as his record heads to 5-2. Ryan Walfield picked up the loss by giving up seven runs in 3.2 innings of work to put his record at 1-1.BC RecapQuinnipiac Recap

Maryland 1 Towson 0

Four Maryland pitchers combined on a four hit shutout over Towson which broke a Terps losing streak of six games. Brad Taylor pitched 3.2 innings in relief to pick up the victory to up his record to 1-0 while Brett Cecil got his eighth save of the season. Nate Curd pitched four innings in relief for the Tigers but picked up the loss to drop his record to 1-4.

The Citadel on Sunday pulled out a dramatic 7-6 victory over the Number 1 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. The Citadel came back from a 6-1 deficit to pick up the victory. Bryan Altman led the offense with a huge three-run homer in the seventh inning to get the bulldogs within a run. Richard Jones provided a sacrifice fly to drive in the the eventual winning run in the eighth inning. Raymond Copenhaver pitched three innings while only letting up a single hit to pick up his first career victory. Link Saunders pitched a perfect ninth inning to get his first save on the season. Justin Smoak for South Carolina went 2 for 3 with a homer in the losing effort. Wayne Pelser picked up the loss for the Gamecocks.

Tim Nanry hit three home runs on Sunday to led the Liberty Flames to a 28-7 victory over the Richmond Spiders. Liberty collected 28 hits in the game which broke the school record in addition to tying the record for runs scored in a game also with 28.

The Liberty Flames took a 2-1 victory over The Citadel on Saturday afternoon. Dustin Umberger of Liberty picked up the win by pitching 7.0 innings while only letting up 2 hits and one run. Matt Crim pitched a career high eight innings in the losing effort for the Bulldogs.

The University of South Carolina continued their strong start to the season with a 9-2 victory over the Richmond Spiders on Saturday. Jay Brown started the game and struck out nine batters in his six innings of work to pick up the victory. James Darnell also hit a homer for the second straight day to provide the offense.

The Citadel took out the Richmond Spiders tonight in a very good game by a score of 7-6 in 10 innings to pick up number three for the win column against one loss. The Citadel was led by a clutch performance from Link Saunders who picked up the victory by pitching 2.2 innings of shutout baseball while striking out three against only one hit. Conrad Kellahan hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth to drive in the winning run for the Bulldogs. The Citadel will face off against Liberty tomorrow while the Spiders will face South Carolina.

The University of South Carolina picked up the victory over the Liberty Flames on Friday by a score of 10-2. James Darnell and Phil Disher both hit homeruns to led the Gamecocks to the victory. Harris Honeycutt picked up the victory by going 5.1 innings while letting up two runs on four hits. He extends his streak of victories to start his career to 10.

The Crab House Shootout presented by Trademark Properties will take place this weekend in Charleston SC. The teams participating will be South Carolina, Richmond, Liberty and the host school The Citadel. The match-ups on Friday are South Carolina facing Liberty and Richmond facing The Citadel. On Saturday, South Carolina will face Richmond and the Flames will face The Citadel. The final games of the weekend will have Richmond and Liberty facing off in the early game and The Citadel facing off with South Carolina.

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